Pumpkin Nut Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can 100% pumpkin (Not the pumpkin pie mix)

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup walnut pieces 

Method:

1. Cream eggs, pumpkin, oil, sugar, and vanilla with mixer. 
2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon and add to pumpkin mixture mixing well with mixer. 
3. Fold in nuts. 
4. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish, add cake mixture. 
5. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 35 to 40 minutes until cake is done in center. 
6. Let cool before frosting.

Nutmeg Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

2 cups confectionery sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Beat with mixer until spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cake.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray. Either of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it’s cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes.
2. Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. 
3. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. 
4. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. 
5. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
6. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. 

Makes 12 cupcakes.

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

approx 3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
16-oz. beef broth (1 1/2 cans)
1 10.5-oz. can condensed French onion soup
6-oz red wine
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French rolls
sliced provolone cheese, optional

Method:

1. Trim excess fat off of beef roast and season meat all over with salt and pepper.
2. Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place beef roast into liquid.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Slow cookers have different time intervals that you can select, so work with your cooker. Depending on how the settings on your slow cooker work, the time will vary. Since this is cooking in liquid, you don’t have to worry about the meat drying out in the same way you might if you were roasting the meat in the oven. Mine took 7 1/2 hours and was falling apart tender.
4. Take beef out and rest it, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low or very low for 30 minutes.
5. Lightly toast the bread and evenly distribute cheese between rolls, if using. Divide beef onto rolls and spoon the beef juice* into ramekins or other small bowls and eat everything while it is hot. Serve each sandwich with its own dip.

Guacamole (Award winning)

Ingredients:

6 ripe, Fresh Hass avocados, seeded and peeled
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 small tomato, diced
6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
2 green chiles, diced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. seasoned salt

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, coarsely mash avocados, leaving some chunks.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix to blend.
3. Serving Suggestions:
4. Serve with crisp tortilla chips.
5. To store Guacamole, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the Guacamole and refrigerate.

* Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Makes 12 servings

Blue Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa
2 teaspoons royal blue paste food color
1 toothpickful violet paste food color

Frosting:
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, or spray with baking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
3. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
4. Spoon marshmallow creme into large microwavable bowl; microwave uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds to soften. Add butter. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and salt until smooth.
5. If necessary, trim rounded tops of 2 cake layers to flatten before assembling. Place 1 cake layer, top side down, on serving plate; spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Top with second layer, top side down; spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Top with untrimmed cake layer, top side up. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Store loosely covered.

Tips: To get the royal blue velvet color, remember the toothpickful of violet paste food color; if forgotten, the cake will bake up turquoise in color.

Use paste food color to achieve the royal blue velvet color. If you use liquid or gel food color, your cake color will vary.

To make candy garnish, line cookie sheet with foil, and spray with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, stir together 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1/4 cup water. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves; heat to boiling. Without stirring, heat to 300°F to 310°F, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat and stir in desired amount blue food color. Pour onto cookie sheet in random design. Let cool, and break into pieces. Garnish cake with candy pieces as desired.

Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
COCONUT CREAM CAKE:
Wet Ingredients:
1 c. butter, softened
1¾ c. white sugar
1 c. cream of coconut (Coco Lopez is the one I used.. it can be found by the drink mixers at your grocery store)
4 large eggs
Dry Ingredients:
2½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Additional ingredients:
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. coconut extract

COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
½ c. butter, softened
8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 bag powdered sugar
milk (as needed)
Toasted Coconut* (see below)

Method:

1. For the Cake: Separate eggs, set whites aside. Beat wet ingredients together including egg yolks until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together and stir well. Add dry ingredients to wet using mixer on low speed alternating with buttermilk/extract mixture.
2. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter. Bake at 275-degrees in two 9-inch pans (sprayed with baking spray and floured or what works BEST is lining the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper) for about 90 minutes (it seems they finish much nicer in the lower heat). After about 60 minutes, do the “toothpick test”, repeating every 5-10 min or so until the toothpick comes out clean. After cake is out of the oven and transferred to parchment paper or a cooling rack, poke each cake with a few holes (making sure not to poke all the way through) and drizzle remaining coconut cream over (about ½ c. total). This is optional and just keeps the cake extra moist. After the cake cools, transfer to the freezer and freeze overnight.
3. Frost immediately (see frosting recipe below) after removing from the freezer. Allow to thaw for about an hour before serving. If you want to do a layered cake, put a layer of frosting in-between the two cakes and then continue to frost the remainder of the cake. Sprinkle with lightly toasted, shredded coconut (see below).
4. For the Frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, and coconut extract together, adding powdered sugar little by little until reaching desired consistency. If it seems to get too stiff, add about 1 tsp of milk at a time until you get the consistency you want. (add milk to thin it out, add powdered sugar to thicken it up).
5. Toasted Coconut: Place contents of about ½ bag of sweetened, shredded coconut on a cookie sheet. Spread it out so it makes just a single layer. Bake for appx. 8-10 minutes in a 325-degree oven. Some pieces will still be white and soft, some browned slightly with a little crunch.

Potato Skin Nests

Ingredients:

3 cups freshly shredded russet potatoes or frozen shredded hash browns or 20 oz pkg refrigerated shredded hash browns
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 beaten egg whites
Seasonings:
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4-1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Toppings:
1 1/2 cups colby-jack cheese [or your favorite]
16 oz sour cream
8-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
chopped parsley or chives for garnishing

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with butter flavored cooking spray. Set aside.
2. If using fresh potatoes: Shred the unpeeled potatoes into a medium size mixing bowl using a box grater or food processor. Blot gently with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, but, don't rinse. [tip: The starch will help the nests hold together.] 
3. If using frozen shredded hash browns: Thaw completely before adding to the mixing bowl. 
4. If using refrigerated hash browns: To truly simplify, a 20 ounce package of refrigerated hash browns found in the Dairy section of the grocery store, will also work beautifully for these potato nests. 
5. Mix the shredded potatoes, beaten egg whites, shredded Parmesan cheese and seasonings together.
6. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into each muffin cup. Depending on how you divide the shredded potatoes, you may be able to yield more than 12, so, have another pan handy just in case. Using your hands, or a small glass, press the potato mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of each cup. Spritz each nest with butter flavored cooking spray or, you can drizzle them with a couple of tablespoons of melted butter, if you like. [tip: I prefer the cooking spray, so the nests won't become too wet, and will hold together]
7. Place the potato nests into the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until golden. Remove the pan from the oven and gently run a knife or an off set spatula around each nest to loosen the edges. Don't attempt to remove them immediately, allow them to rest in the pan for around 2 minutes. If you want your cheese to melt completely sprinkle the nests with the shredded cheese during the last 2 minutes of baking. Otherwise, sprinkle the shredded cheese into the warm nests on the counter.
8. To assemble, top with a tablespoon of grated colby-jack cheese. 
9. Using a large star tip attached to a piping bag, pipe sour cream into the center of each nest. [or a teaspoon, of course ☺] Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top, and garnish with finely chopped parsley or chives. Serve warm. 

Yield: 12-14 medium or 24 minis

Cook's note:
If you'd like to make these bite-size, use mini-muffin pans. They make the perfect bite sized version. Bake at 450°F for around 15-16 minutes until golden.

Optional serving ideas:
Serve as a side dish with steaks, chicken or pork.
Fill with eggs and crumbled bacon or sausage topped with a drizzle of hollandaise for breakfast.
Fill with pulled pork barbecue and cheddar cheese.
Fill with taco meat and top with your favorite South of the Border toppings.

http://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/2011/07/nested-potato-skins.html

Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 tsp House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add the House Seasoning, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Rub seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.
3. Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water.
4. Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
6. If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients and store in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

Chicken Parmagiana

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

2 ounces dry bread crumbs
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
2. Pour egg into a small shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then into the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.
3. Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce into a 7x11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 2 servings.

Ceviche

Ingredients:

2 lbs of firm, fresh red snapper fillets (or other firm-fleshed fish), cut into 1/2 inch pieces, completely deboned
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 cup of chopped fresh seeded tomatoes
1 serrano chili, seeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons of salt
Dash of ground oregano
Dash of Tabasco or a light pinch of cayenne pepper
Cilantro
Avocado
Tortillas or tortilla chips

Method:
In a non-reactive casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, place the fish, onion, tomatoes, chili, salt, Tabasco, and oregano. Cover with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic lime and lemon juices. Let sit for several hours, giving time for the flavors to blend.
During the marinating process the fish will change from pinkish grey and translucent, to whiter in color and opaque.

Serve with chopped cilantro and slices of avocado with heated tortillas for ceviche tacos or with tortilla chips.

Pizza Melanzane

Ingredients:

½ pound long thin eggplants, thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
1 x 12 inch circle pizza dough
Cornmeal
1 batch tomato sauce, slightly seasoned with Cayenne pepper
1 ¼ cups mozzarella, chopped
16 black olives
1 tablespoon capers
4 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese
½ tablespoon olive oil
Salt

Method:

1. Layer the eggplant in a colander, sprinkling salt on each layer. Leave to drain for one hour. Wipe off the salt with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 475° F.
2. Heat the olive oil in large frying pan, and quickly brown the eggplant on both sides, cooking in batches. Drain on paper towels.
3. Place the pizza dough on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and spoon the tomato sauce onto the dough, spreading it up to the rim. Arrange the eggplant in a circular pattern over the top, and then sprinkle with mozzarella. Sprinkle with olives, capers and Pecorino, and then drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp paprik
2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into two large pieces
2 cloves garlic, halved
Salt and pepper

1 lb prepared coleslaw

6 hamburger buns

Method:

1. In a large slow cooker, combine the onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and paprika.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut slits all over the roast. Rub the meat with the cut sides of the garlic. Tuck the remaining bits of garlic into the slits and season generously with salt and pepper. Add to the slow cooker and coat with the sauce. Cover and cook on low heat until tender, 7 to 8 hours.
3. Using tongs, remove the beef from the sauce; shred. Skim off and discard the fat from the sauce, stir in the shredded beef and season with salt and pepper. Sandwich the meat, topped with some coleslaw, on the buns; serve with more coleslaw on the side.

Detox drink

Ingredients:

1-2 liters’ of water, depending on how strong you want it to taste
Part of 1 watermelon or 1 cucumber
1 lemon or lime
A handful of fresh mint leaves (approximately 10-13)
Ice cubes

Method:

1. Slice up a good amount of watermelon into cubes, rind and all, and put them into a jug or pitcher. 
2. Cut 1 juicy lime into wedges and toss in with the watermelon. 
3. Add a handful of fresh, fragrant, mint leaves and pour in 2 liters of cool water, filling the jug all the way to the top. 
4. Let this sit overnight in the fridge and let all the yummy flavors steep and infuse the water. 
5. When you want to drink it, put in a generous helping of ice cubes, pour, and enjoy daily.

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
3. Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
4. On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
5. Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping and alternating vegetables.
6. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.
7. Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside the dish.
8. Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but still a bit firm. You should see the tomato sauce bubbling around them.

May be serve with soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread…

Rolled beef with cheese and herbs

Ingredients:

1 kg rump steak
90g packaged cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons cream
2 teaspoons chopped parsley or chives

Method:

1. Mix cheese with herbs. Trim the steak and cut into eight pieces, flatten each piece with a meat mallet (or get your friendly local butcher to do it), to about 10cm square. Spread cheese mixture evenly over the steak pieces, roll up and use a toothpick to hold them together. Remember you have to get the toothpicks out before serving, so just lightly secure or you end up with beef roll and sauce all over the kitchen. Believe me.
2. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Lightly coat rolls in flour. Heat butter and oil over high heat in a large frypan. When the butter is foaming, add rolls in one layer and cook until evenly browned on all sides. Add soy sauce and stock, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Remove rolls from pan, remove toothpicks (carefully!) and place on a serving dish. Cover with aluminium foil to keep warm. Boil stock in pan until thickened; add cream and parsley/chives. Serve steak rolls drizzled with sauce, mash and vegies or a green salad.

Best Ever Pancakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar (see note)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used 3)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1. Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl for 10 minutes to "sour". Skip this step if using buttermilk. 
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. 
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk the soured milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter together. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until most of the lumps are gone, but DO NOT OVER BEAT!! 
4. The batter will be thick, don't add any more liquid. LET THE BATTER SIT UNDISTURBED FOR TEN MINUTES!! After 10 minutes, you will see bubbles in the batter, very important DO NOT STIR AGAIN. 
5. GENTLY dip out (don't pour out) 1/2 cup of batter and place it on a buttered grill or frying pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and then flip with a spatula and brown the other side. 

NOTE: This recipe only feeds about 3 or 4 people, but doubles or even triples nicely.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough (using bread machine)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water - 100 to 110 degrees F (40 to 45 degrees C)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil

Method:

1. Pour the warm water into the pan of the bread machine, and add the flour on top of the water. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, and top with the yeast. Set the machine on the dough setting, and push the start button. When the machine signals that the dough is finished, transfer to a well-floured work surface.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. Roll or stretch the dough out into thin crust about 14 inches across. Leave dough thick at the edge. Place the dough onto a 14-inch pizza baking sheet, and brush the dough with the olive oil.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes before removing to top with desired ingredients for final baking.

Kacang Pol

Ingredients:
1 tin foul medames (remove liquid, wash & mash with potato masher)
500g beef (cook soup with stock)
garlic
ginger
black pepper
briyani spice

Method:

1. Fry garlic, ginger, black pepper & briyani spices until aromatic.
2. Add foul medames & beef stock & simmer until evaporated.
3. Serve with fried eggs, chopped tomatoes, green chilli, onions & limau kasturi.

Egg Muffins

Ingredients:
6 Eggs
Any other ingredients

Method:

1. Spray a muffin/cupcake pan w/ non-stick spray. 
2. Fill with anything you want: ham & broccoli, chicken & carrots, spinach w/ feta & tomatoes, steak & bell peppers....whatever you have in the fridge. (Note: add all veggies RAW - they will cook to perfection during the baking process) 
3. Mix approx. 1 egg per/muffin in a blender w/ a splash of milk. 
4. Pour directly into each cup just below the rim. 
5. Top with shredded or sliced cheeses of your choice. 
6. Bake at 425 degrees for approx. 20 min. 
7. Let cool before removing from pan

Kacang Pol

Ingredients:
1 tin Foul Medamas (Kimball)
1 kg ground beef
1 cup water
A little oil for frying
salt & sugar to taste

Items A

1 kg onions - ground
2 garlic - ground
1 tspn jintan manis - dry fried & ground
1 tspn jintan putih - dry fried & ground
1 tspn coriander - dry fried & ground
1 inch ginger - ground

Method:
Fry items A in oil until fragrant.
Add ground beef & stir until cooked.
Add foul medamas.
Add water & stew until gravy is thick.
Add salt & sugar to taste.

Serve with:
Cut green chilies
Diced large onion
Bread, toasted
Sunny side up eggs
Limau nipis

Resepi : Pak Haji
Rujukan : Buku Planta Resepiku Warisanku

Easy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

200g chocolate

100g salted butter

3 eggs

100g sugar

50g flour

sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
2. Melt the chocolate & butter in a double boiler or microwave.
3. Beat eggs & sugar until creamy.
4. Add melted chocolate to the egg mixture, & then fold in flour.
5. Line bottom of 26cm (10”) springform pan with baking paper, & rub butter on its sides.
6. Pour cake mixture into tin, & bake between 15 – 20 mins.

Nasi Ulam

Ingredients (for 5 portions)

Bahan utama: 2 cawan beras ditanak mjadi nasi (bila nasi dh masak, gaulkan dgn sedikit garam)

Bahan A: 

Ulam-ulaman - Beberapa helai ulam-ulaman berdaun spt daun gajus, putat, mengkudu, kaduk, kunyit, selom, daun sekentut, pegaga, ulam raja, dll (yg mana anda suka dan senang dapat)
Beberapa batang kacang panjang, kacang botol@kacang kelisa
4 ulas bawang merah (kecil)

Bahan B: 

2 batang serai
2 biji cili padi
1 inci lengkuas muda
1 inci halia muda
1 sudu teh lada hitam (biji) atau 1/2 sudu teh serbuk lada hitam

Bahan C: 

1 keping isi ikan talang kering@ikan kurau kering - direndam dan digoreng garing
1 cawan kelapa putih parut - digoreng keemasan

Method

1. Mayang halus ulam-ulaman bahan A. Potong nipis kacang panjang dan kacang botol@kacang kelisa.
2. Tumbuk bahan B dengan lumat. Tumbuk bahan C. Kelapa goreng tu jadikan serbuk jgn smpai pecah minyak pula.
3. Satukan kesemua bahan A, B dan C bersama nasi ke dalam mangkuk besar. Gaulkan dan perasakan dengan garam.
4. Sedia dimakan bersama sayur keladi.

Ratatouille

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini squash
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method

1. Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. 
2. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. 
3. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. 
4. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. 
5. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. 
6. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Cheese Crusted Cottage Pie

Ingredients

For the pie filling
1 Beef cube
2 medium onions, chopped
500 g family pack ‘extra lean’ minced beef
75 g swede, cut into small cubes
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh)
1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh)
Freshly ground black pepper

For the topping
1 Vegetable OXO cube
4 large potatoes (approx. 900g) cubed
75 g butter
50 g mature cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 tbsp fresh coarse white breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Fry the minced beef together with the onions in a saucepan until the mince becomes crumbly and turns a rich brown colour and the onions have softened.
2. Add the swede, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for a further minute or two.
3. Crumble in 1 Beef OXO cube, sprinkle in the flour, and add the tomato purée and herbs. Mix well then blend in 250ml hot water. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
4. Partially cover the saucepan and simmer over a very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stock will reduce to just the right rich consistency.
5. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly and return to the saucepan, add the butter and mash until smooth.
6. Pour the mince into a deep 20cm (8 inch) baking dish and spread the mashed potato evenly all over.
7. Mix together the cheese, 1 crumbled Vegetable OXO cube and the breadcrumbs. Scatter over the potato and bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for about 25 minutes or until the top is crusty and golden brown.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Shepherds Pie variation

1. Replace the onions with 2 sliced leeks, adding at the same time as the vegetables.
2. Omit the water and add a large can of chopped tomatoes.
3. Use minced lamb instead of the beef and replace the Beef OXO cube with a Lamb OXO cube.
4. For a more meaty Shepherd’s Pie, omit the canned chopped tomato and replace with an extra Lamb OXO cube and a total of 300ml (1/2 pt) hot water.

Serving suggestion
Serve with a crisp, fruity white such as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, where hints of asparagus flavours can even be found in the taste of the wine.

Cook's tip
Crumble a Vegetable OXO cube into grated cheese or breadcrumb mixes for a really tasty topping to potato pies, gratins and pasta dishes. For a special potato topping (and a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies!), mix in some lightly cooked shredded Savoy cabbage or sliced leeks into the mashed potato. If you are preparing the Shepherd’s Pie ahead, chill until required. But remember to either bring the Shepherd’s Pie back to room temperature or add on another 10 minutes cooking time to ensure it is piping hot.

Cottage Pie

Ingredients 

3 tbsp olive-oil
1¼kg beef mince
2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
large glass red wine (optional)
850ml beef stock
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
few thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves

For the mash
1.8kg potatoes, chopped
225ml milk
25g butter
200g strong cheddar, grated
freshly grated nutmeg

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan and fry the mince until browned - you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns. Put the rest of the oil into the pan, add the vegetables and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins. Add the garlic, flour and tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan. Pour over the wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins - if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
2. Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the milk, butter, and three-quarters of the cheese, then season with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
3. Spoon meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese. If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden. Or follow the steps (below) to freeze.

Barley lemon coconut drink

Ingredients:

100g barley pearls, soaked for 10 minutes in water
1 small pot of water
2 fresh coconuts, with flesh still intact
⅟₂ lemon, thinly sliced

For the sugar syrup,
1 cup water
3 tablespoon refined sugar
A bunch of pandan leaves, knotted

Method:

1. Boil 1 small pot of water over medium heat and then add soaked barley pearls. Boil for roughly ⅟₂ hour and let it cool for another ⅟₂ hour.
2. Using a blender, add barley water, cooked barley pearls and coconut juice. Blend until barley pearls achieve a fine texture.
3. Pour out into a big container.
4. For the sugar syrup, heat water, sugar, pandan leaves in a small pot over low heat for 30 minutes. Leave to cool for another 10 minutes.
5. Add coconut flesh, sugar syrup and slices of lemon together with the blended ingredients.
6. Serve chilled or top with crushed ice.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour (including 1/2 hour cooling time)
Serves: 4-6

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1 -2 tablespoon horseradish (to your taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients and chill.
2. When ready to serve dip shrimp and enjoy.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

Green curry paste:
4 small green Thai chilies (cili padi)
1/4 cup shallot OR purple onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
1 stalk fresh minced lemongrass
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 to 1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 (loose) cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Curry Ingredients:
1 to 1.5 lbs. (about 0.7 kg) boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into chunks
1 can coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves (daun limau perut)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise several times, then cut into chunks
Generous handful fresh basil
2 Tbsp. coconut oil or other vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Place all the "green curry paste" ingredients together in a food processor, and process to a paste. If necessary, add a few Tbsp. of the coconut milk to help blend ingredients. Set aside.
2. Prepare the lime leaves by tearing the leaf away from either side of the stem. Discard the central stem. Then, using scissors, cut leaves into thin strips. Set aside.
3. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then add the green curry paste.
4. Stir-fry briefly to release the fragrance (30 seconds to 1 minute), then add 3/4 of the coconut milk, reserving 2-3 Tbsp. per serving portion for later.
5. Add the chicken, stirring to incorporate. When the curry sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low, until you get a nice simmer.
6. Cover and allow to simmer 3-5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally.
7. Add the red bell pepper and zucchini, plus the strips of lime leaf (or lime zest), stirring well to incorporate. Simmer another 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened but still firm and colorful.
8. Do a taste-test for salt, adding 1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce if not salty enough. If you'd prefer a sweeter curry, add a little more sugar. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. Note that this curry should be a balance of salty, spicy, sweet and sour, plus bitter (the bitter is found in the fresh basil garnish).
9. Top with fresh basil, then drizzle over 2-3 Tbsp. coconut milk, and ENJOY!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
185g butter
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
3 eggs
2 cups grated carrot
3/4 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cups plain flour
3/4 cups self raising flour
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice

Orange cream cheese frosting
60g packaged cream cheese
30g soft butter
1 tsp grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Grease & line base of 20cm ring pan
3. Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined.
4. Stir in carrot & walnuts. Then stir in flours & mixed spice. Spread into pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour.
6. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with frosting.

Frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter & rind until light & fluffy. Gradually add in sifted icing sugar, beat until smooth.

Carrot cake

Ingredients: 
4 eggs 
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 
2 cups white sugar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
3 cups grated carrots 
1 cup chopped pecans 
1/2 cup butter, softened 
8 ounces cream cheese, softened 
4 cups confectioners' sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup chopped pecans 

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. 
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. 
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. 
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

After reading through 4-5 pages of the reviews, I consolidated the most referred alterations to this recipe to: 1) using 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar 2) adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract 3) adding 1 8oz. can of crushed pineapple (I squeezed out most of the juice before adding it, I didn't want any extra fluids in the cake) 4) Added 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg 5) added 1 extra teaspoon of cinnamon 6) used 3/4 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. The result came out incredibly delicious - the cake was very flavorful and moist. For the frosting, I only used 3.5 cups of powdered sugar, and it was more than sweet enough, with a nicely balanced cream cheese vs. sweet flavor. If I would change anything again, I would use less pecans - it's a bit too nutty for my personal tastes. Also, I followed another reviewer's suggestion of grating the carrots with the large grater side (the one you use for cheese) so that you don't end up with a bunch of carrot mush and juice that can't be used. Will definitely make again! This is probably the best carrot cake I've ever had.

Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp each: ground cloves, ginger, nutmeg
1/4 cup finely chopped apple
1/3 cup almond milk
1 whole egg
1/4 cup egg whites
1 TB plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 TB water
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Put all (yes, all) ingredients in a bowl and mix together until a smooth batter is formed. (Depending upon protein powder used, batter might be thick; if so, add additional water 1 TB at a time until batter is pourable). Set aside.
2. Coat skillet lightly with non-stick cooking spray and place on medium-high heat. Allow to heat up for approximately 30 seconds. (Depending how big your skillet is, you might need to repeat this process to cook all pancakes). 
3. Pour batter slowly onto heated skillet to form approximate 3” round pancakes. Fit as many as you can at one time so you can eat sooner ☺ 
4. Let cook for approximately 2 minutes or until bubbles form on top of pancake and underside is nice and brown. Once this occurs, flip pancakes over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until pancakes are firm and underside is also browned. Stack on a plate. (Repeat this process until all batter is used).

NUTRITION DATA
Per serving (serves 1): 356 calories, 30.5 grams protein, 42.7 gram carbohydrates, 7.1 grams fat

Yasmin's Lobster Yee Mein (Lobster Noodles with Ginger and Scallions)

Ingredients: 
1 lobster (about 2.5 – 3 lbs)
4 oz. Yee Mein or E-Fu Noodles
1 1/2 cup water + 1 tablespoon corn starch (use more corn starch if you like thicker sauce)
2 stalks scallions (cut into 2-inch length)
10-12 slices peeled ginger
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Extra cooking oil for frying

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Clean the lobster and chop into pieces. Lightly crack the lobster claws in advance. Blot the lobster dry with paper towels. 
2. Heat up a pot of boiling water and boil the Yee Mein according to the packing instructions. Make sure not to over boil the Yee Mein. Drain and set aside on a big plate/bowl. 
3. In a big wok or deep skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Stir-fry the ginger until aromatic and drop in the lobster. Stir continuously until they start turning red, then add in the sauce, follow by the water. 
4. Continue to stir and coat the sauce nicely, then cover the wok/skillet with its lid and wait for a couple minutes or until the lobster pieces are cooked through. (Do not over cook the lobter as it will turn rubbery in texture!) 
5. Remove the lid and add the chopped scallions into the lobster. Add salt to taste if needed. 
6. Transfer the lobster out and pour onto the bed of yee mein. Serve immediately.

Strawberry cream pavlova

Ingredients: 
2 egg whites
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
200g strawberries, hulled, sliced
2 tbs strawberry liqueur
1 tbs icing sugar mixture
125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Icing sugar, to dust

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 130°C. Draw six 10cm-long, 9cm-wide heart shapes on a sheet of baking paper. Turn over and place on a large baking tray. 
2. Use an electric beater to beat egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, 1 tbs at a time, beating well after each addition until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick and glossy. 
3. Transfer the meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe an outline around inside of heart shapes, then pipe a little into centre of each heart and use a palette knife to spread to the edges. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp and dry. Set aside to cool completely. 
4. Meanwhile, combine the strawberries, strawberry liqueur and icing sugar in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes to macerate. 
5. Use an electric beater to beat the cream and vanilla in a bowl until firm peaks form. Place 1 meringue heart on each plate. Top with the cream and strawberry mixture. Top each with another meringue heart. Dust with icing sugar. 

TIP: Make the meringue hearts up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container.

Serves 2 (with 2 hearts left over)
Prep 30 mins (+ cooling time) Cooking 40 mins

Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients
140g plain flour
4 eggs
200ml milk
sunflower oil, for cooking

Method

1. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Drizzle a little sunflower oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through. 
2. To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately. 
3. You can also cool them and freeze for up to 1 month.

Bread & Butter Pudding

Ingredients:
50g currants, raisins or sultanas, or a mixture, optional
3 tbsp brandy, optional
200ml whole milk
Vanilla pod, halved
Zest of ½ lemon
75g slightly salted butter
8 slices of slightly stale white sourdough, fruit bread or panettone, cut into triangles
3 eggs
2 tbsp caster sugar
100ml double cream
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Nutmeg, to grate

Method:

1. If you're using panettone or fruit bread, you can skip this step if you like. Put the dried fruit into a small cup and pour over the brandy to cover. Cover tightly and leave to soak overnight.
2. When you're ready to make the pudding, put the milk into a small pan with the vanilla pod. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, add the lemon zest and allow to cool. 
3. Meanwhile, butter the bread and your baking dish and arrange half the slices in overlapping rows inside. Beat the eggs together with the sugar until well mixed, and then remove the vanilla pod from the milk and discard before beating the milk and the cream into the egg mixture. Pour a little more than half over the bread, add the soaked fruit if using, and leave for 20 minutes. 
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Arrange the rest of the bread in a second layer in the baking dish and drizzle over the rest of the custard. Dot with the rest of the butter, scatter with demerara sugar and grate some nutmeg over the top. 
5. Place in a roasting tin and and fill halfway with water to make a bain marie. Cook for 35 – 45 minutes until golden brown. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Serves 4

Balsamic and Mustard Dressing

Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard (I prefer grainy, but smooth is fine)
1 tsp honey (agave will also work)
1 tsp dried herbs eg. oregano, thyme (Leave these out if there are flavors in the salad or dish you may not want them to compete with)
salt & pepper

Method

1. You can either mix it with a fork, a whisk or shake it up a jar (any shape will do!). But for optimal flavor, really mix it. Use a jar if you’re going to be making extra and storing it, since it will store in the fridge for anywhere from months to forever.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

350g ripe bananas (peeled weight)
180g plain flour, plus extra for the tin
2½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
160g soft, light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp melted butter, plus extra to grease, slightly cooled
50g walnuts, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Put two-thirds of the peeled banana chunks into a bowl and mash until smooth. Roughly mash the remainder and stir in gently.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and grease and lightly flour a baking tin about 21x9x7cm.
3. Put the sugar, eggs and melted butter in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk them until pale and slightly increased in volume. Fold in the bananas and the dry ingredients until you can see no more flour, then fold in the walnuts.
4. Spoon into the tin and bake for about an hour until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a rack to cool completely.

French Macarons

Ingredients

• For The Macarons

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • Pinch of cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup superfine sugar

• Suggested Fillings For Macarons

  
  

  • Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
  • Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
  • Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
  • Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
  • Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

  • Method

    1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
    2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
    3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
    4. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
    5. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Cook's Note

    Piping the perfect macaroon takes a little practice. Treat it as you would a rosette, bringing the pastry tip to the side of the circle, rather than forming a peak, to finish.

    Variations

    Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls (Pao de Queijo) – Gluten Free!

Ingredients: 
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese *you can play around with the cheese. I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar. All great!

Optional:
extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. 
3. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. 
4. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.
5. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt. 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. 
7. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm.

These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh. 
Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

Lobster Yee Mein Recipe (Lobster Noodles with Ginger and Scallions)

Ingredients: 
1 lobster (about 2.5 – 3 lbs)
4 oz. Yee Mein or E-Fu Noodles
1 1/2 cup water + 1 tablespoon corn starch (use more corn starch if you like thicker sauce)
2 stalks scallions (cut into 2-inch length)
10-12 slices peeled ginger
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Extra cooking oil for frying

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Clean the lobster and chop into pieces. Lightly crack the lobster claws in advance. Blot the lobster dry with paper towels.
2. Heat up a pot of boiling water and boil the Yee Mein according to the packing instructions. Make sure not to over boil the Yee Mein. Drain and set aside on a big plate/bowl. 
3. In a big wok or deep skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. 
4. Stir-fry the ginger until aromatic and drop in the lobster. Stir continuously until they start turning red, then add in the sauce, follow by the water. 
5. Continue to stir and coat the sauce nicely, then cover the wok/skillet with its lid and wait for a couple minutes or until the lobster pieces are cooked through. (Do not over cook the lobter as it will turn rubbery in texture!) 
6. Remove the lid and add the chopped scallions into the lobster. 
7. Add salt to taste if needed. 
8. Transfer the lobster out and pour onto the bed of yee mein. Serve immediately.